Rogaining What is it? Rogaining, in the most basic explanation, is basically running through a forest, mountains or wide open areas. The main point is to keep moving towards certain checkpoints all the way to the end of the course. Most people do this sport competitively and try to do these tracks/courses in the fastest time, it can often be an action filled experience especially when you’re running through a forest really fast dodging, jumping, sliding etc over different obstacles, it has been proven to be a quite stamina intense sport and is not very easy for unfit people.
Where can you do it? Well, technically you could do it anywhere where there is bush land or tracks maybe even a small forest, all you really need to do is set up navigation points around the area and reach them using your navigation skills, i.e. using compasses. Once you know where you have to go you try to get there as fast as possible always moving whether it be running, sprinting, jogging or walking, in competitions the winner is based on who did the course in the fastest time so I’m assuming pros would be sprinting or running the entire time!
What do you need to do it? For Rogaining you’d want some pretty essential stuff like; A compass, backpack with essential stuff like water, food, map, contact device(phone), Gps and maybe even a flare for if you get lost in a bad situation. You’d also need some good running shoes and clothes to make sure you kept cool and warm when you needed and to avoid injury because there is no doubt you’d fall, slip and trip and scratch yourself running through some of these places. You’d also need; Eye protectors, gaiters(leg protection) and a headlamp if you were running at night.
Does it require any physical stamina? Yes you would need an incredibly high fitness ratio, also depending on your mapping skills and navigational skills would affect how fast you got to the place so you might have some advantages over people, for example someone with poor mapping skills but amazing fitness might be beaten by someone with expert mapping skills but poor fitness just because they know the exact direction they’re going.
Why do it? Well there is a few reasons, excitement, thrill, fitness, hobby, or maybe even just for the competition sake of it. This sport is pretty unknown but still very popular that it’s still known over the world in these places; New Zealand, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, Queensland, Japan, Canada, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Estonian, Latvian, Czech.
What do you gain from it? Knowledge, knowledge is power, if you know how to map and use compasses, GPS, etc that could save your life one day, not only that it’s probably good for you, being outside, exercising and spending time with people without distraction than the task you’re focused on it’s probably a worthwhile sport. Is there competitions for it? Sure is, there is competitions for all the places I listed (New Zealand, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, Queensland, Japan, Canada, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Estonian, Latvian, Czech) The competitions can last anywhere from a few hours to overnight trips, this is a intense sport and not for the unfit and terrible navigators because you’ll need to be good at both to get anywhere in this sport. Literally. Here is some footage of a rogainer during a competition
What is it?
Rogaining, in the most basic explanation, is basically running through a forest, mountains or wide open areas. The main point is to keep moving towards certain checkpoints all the way to the end of the course. Most people do this sport competitively and try to do these tracks/courses in the fastest time, it can often be an action filled experience especially when you’re running through a forest really fast dodging, jumping, sliding etc over different obstacles, it has been proven to be a quite stamina intense sport and is not very easy for unfit people.
Where can you do it?
Well, technically you could do it anywhere where there is bush land or tracks maybe even a small forest, all you really need to do is set up navigation points around the area and reach them using your navigation skills, i.e. using compasses. Once you know where you have to go you try to get there as fast as possible always moving whether it be running, sprinting, jogging or walking, in competitions the winner is based on who did the course in the fastest time so I’m assuming pros would be sprinting or running the entire time!
What do you need to do it?
For Rogaining you’d want some pretty essential stuff like; A compass, backpack with essential stuff like water, food, map, contact device(phone), Gps and maybe even a flare for if you get lost in a bad situation. You’d also need some good running shoes and clothes to make sure you kept cool and warm when you needed and to avoid injury because there is no doubt you’d fall, slip and trip and scratch yourself running through some of these places. You’d also need; Eye protectors, gaiters(leg protection) and a headlamp if you were running at night.
Does it require any physical stamina?
Yes you would need an incredibly high fitness ratio, also depending on your mapping skills and navigational skills would affect how fast you got to the place so you might have some advantages over people, for example someone with poor mapping skills but amazing fitness might be beaten by someone with expert mapping skills but poor fitness just because they know the exact direction they’re going.
Why do it?
Well there is a few reasons, excitement, thrill, fitness, hobby, or maybe even just for the competition sake of it. This sport is pretty unknown but still very popular that it’s still known over the world in these places; New Zealand, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, Queensland, Japan, Canada, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Estonian, Latvian, Czech.
What do you gain from it?
Knowledge, knowledge is power, if you know how to map and use compasses, GPS, etc that could save your life one day, not only that it’s probably good for you, being outside, exercising and spending time with people without distraction than the task you’re focused on it’s probably a worthwhile sport.
Is there competitions for it?
Sure is, there is competitions for all the places I listed (New Zealand, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, Queensland, Japan, Canada, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Estonian, Latvian, Czech) The competitions can last anywhere from a few hours to overnight trips, this is a intense sport and not for the unfit and terrible navigators because you’ll need to be good at both to get anywhere in this sport. Literally.
Here is some footage of a rogainer during a competition
Here is a guide for beginner rogaineers
Bibliography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogaining
http://rogaine.asn.au/
http://www.rogaining.com/
http://www.vra.rogaine.asn.au/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45Vuz3n9m-g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvC_MwQNICI&feature=related
http://gearjunkie.com/rogaine-orienteering-race-feature-story
By Riley Patterson 10x
Year 10 Outdoor Ed